Hero by Heart

Chapter 17

Zelda woke feeling refreshed and energized. Today would be the day she finally got to see a Divine Beast from the inside.
The previous night, during dinner, she had discussed her plans with the Zora and they had agreed to give her anything she needed.
The only small setback was that Link had insisted on joining her, repeating multiple times how dangerous the road was and how she didn't know the way. He had a point of course, but still she had hoped he would stay back. She kept trying to forget he was there as much as she could, and ignore how he made her feel.
That proved to be very difficult when he followed her everywhere she went. She settled for keeping her distance. She remained as kind and polite as possible, but didn't acknowledge him unless he outright spoke to her.
That was why, the previous night, she had been halfway down the stairs on her way back to the Domain, before she had noticed he hadn't followed.
For a minute Zelda had felt a rush of panic, but she had pushed it away as hard as she could. Logically thinking, she knew he had to be with Sidon, who was also missing.
She also felt a little guilty for only realizing it so late. Was she a terrible person for not interacting with him? But then again, could anyone blame her for wanting some distance? For trying to find a way to get over her feelings for him?

When Zelda awoke in the morning, he was there again, huddled beneath his sheets. She hadn't heard him come in, so she had no clue of what he'd been up to. But she wasn't about to ask.
She climbed out of bed and got dressed. In the adjoining area she took a seat next to the cooking pot that was positioned over a little fire, so that she could put together some breakfast.
It didn't take long for Link to show up behind her. He sat down to eat without a word. He did smile at her in greeting, telling her he kept quiet for her sake, not his. It was strangely heartwarming.
After finishing their meal, they quickly gathered their stuff and headed to Vah Ruta. It was quite a climb, so they'd need every minute.
     It was another beautiful day, Zelda thought, as they walked across the Great Zora Bridge. The sun was shining and the temperature was pleasant, with a soft breeze to cool them on their hike. A few small clouds drifted across the blue skies, occasionally presenting them with some shade.
     In the beginning they quickly gained distance, as they followed the path leading up Ruto Mountain. It wound around the peaks and led down again on the other side.
     Not too long after the path started descending, they reached an almost invisible opening in the rocks on their left. It was just a narrow cleft really, where any other person would simply walk past.
     Link, however, stopped there and turned towards it. 'This is where we leave the path,' he said while hoisting up his gear. 'It will get a lot harder from here on, so be prepared.' He didn't wait for an answer. Instead he led the way through the opening and down the rocky wall, carefully placing his feet and even using his hands a few times.
When he was down on more even ground, he looked up at Zelda and gestured her to follow.
She set her jaw in determination and carefully made the first few steps. With some instructions from Link she made it without any difficulty.
     They followed the mountainside along a narrow ledge, until they reached a plateau covered in grass. There were a few pine trees there and it looked really peaceful, a place where no living soul ever ventured.
     Before Zelda knew it, they had crossed over the plateau and stood on rocky ground again, staring up at the massive cliff.
Link looked at her with a small frown. 'There is no easy slope leading up this mountain, so we have to climb. If you feel up for it, we can try to use my glider to make a shortcut.' He shrugged. 'I have to admit that I never tried it together with someone else, so it's a risk.'
Zelda stared up, fear turning her stomach.
Link busied himself with wiping his hands on his breeches and securing his bags on his back, before he glanced over his shoulder at her. 'It's entirely up to you, Zelda.'
She looked up again, imagining herself climbing those endless rocks. It would be a tremendous challenge to climb up the whole way, bringing its own risks. She wasn't even sure if her body could handle such a physical exercise.
The thought of clinging onto Link as they flew into the air wasn't the most appealing either, but this wasn't the time for her personal feelings to get in the way.
     Eventually she nodded and stepped forward, heart hammering in her chest.
     Link pulled out his paraglider and checked her gear just to be sure nothing would be lost. He then grabbed the handles and told her to hang onto him. Tightly.
     She stepped even closer so that his scent enveloped her, momentarily making her head spin. It suddenly felt impossible to even look at him. With her lips pressed together tightly she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
     As they crouched and Link concentrated on Rivali's Gale, she could feel the tension in her body rise, her heartbeat increasing further and her breathing growing shallow.
     Pressed against his chest, she could feel Link's heartbeat, going steady and strong. His breathing was deep and comforting in her ear, as if this didn't affect him in the slightest. Although it was a painful reminder that he didn't feel anything for her, it also soothed her. Just for now, she allowed herself to get lost in the feeling of his body against her own.
     Next thing she knew, she cried out in alarm as they were suddenly flying. They shot up from the ground, wind buffeting her face and whipping her hair all around. She tightly wrapped her legs around Link's and held onto him for dear life. She no longer felt particularly assured by his unwavering presence, watching the rocks beneath them grow smaller and smaller. The speed at which the mountain flew by was astounding.
     Within seconds they were nearing the top of the peak, but the wind pushing them upwards quickly diminished. Link steered them forward, so that the wall came at them at alarming speed.
     Zelda closed her eyes, afraid of crashing into the jagged rocks. Any moment now, she expected to feel the crushing pain, followed by a long fall.
Link's voice brought her back from the brink of panic. 'Pull in your legs.' It was so soothing and warm and so very close to her.
     She instantly did as he said and felt a small vibration as his feet touched the ground. He took a few steps, effortlessly carrying her in his arms, before coming to a halt.
     When she was certain they were on solid ground again Zelda's mind returned to her. She quickly released him and stepped back as much as she could, making sure to stay on the narrow ledge.
     It was still some way to go to the top, but they had made incredible progress. She was sure she would be able to make this last bit of the climb.
     Link smiled at her as he folded his glider, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight. 'Ready for the last bit?' He asked.
Zelda nodded, a wavering smile on her lips. 'Let's go,' she said, picturing the things she would discover up there.
     For a while it was quiet, as Link led the way over the steep rocks, only every now and then pointing out where she could place her hands or feet.
     Zelda felt the sweat drip down her back, and her arms trembled from the amount of force it took her to hold on. She was terrified she might loose her grip and fall off, but tried to trust on herself and on Link. He would guide her to safety.
     She let out a grunt as she scraped her knee on the sharp rocks, but did not allow herself to feel it. She was almost there.
     When Link reached the top he hoisted himself up and immediately turned around to lay flat on his stomach, extending his hand for her to grab.
     Zelda took hold of it and felt his incredible strength pull her up the last part, barely a challenge for him.
     They now stood on the very top of the peak, right next to the Divine Beast. She brushed her hands on her tunic and carefully walked forward, her mind full of awe.
     The long and tiring climb was already disappearing from her mind as she took in the elephant-shaped creation, its trunk pointing up at the sky.
Zelda slowly approached the beast, but when she headed towards the entrance Link stopped her.
'Let me check it out first. You never know what might be inside now. Will you wait here?' He looked at her pleadingly.
Zelda nodded, even though her hands were aching to get started. She knew Link wouldn't let her wait if he didn't think it was necessary.
She watched him disappear into the darkness of the beast and sat down to wait for him.
It was deadly silent up here on the mountain, the only sound being the wind blowing around her and the occasional screeching of birds.
     Only a few minutes had passed before Link emerged from the darkness. He looked a little heated, his hair plastered to his face. 'All clear,' he grinned at her.
     Excitement once again radiating through her body she got up and quickly walked towards him, shooting him a beaming smile.
      Together they walked into the gigantic beast, ready to discover its secrets.

Zelda was standing at the Main Terminal, the Sheikah Slate in hand and a frown on her face. There was something she was missing, but she couldn't quite place it.
Link had accompanied her for about an hour as they roamed through the halls of the beast, but she had decided that this was where she should be, so he left her to her work.
She did not know exactly where he was, but it was deadly quiet inside and he had been gone for a long time. At least he would not have left her alone here, of that she was certain.
     Just as she was about to walk around the terminal in hopes of finding a clue there, Link showed up behind her. 'Are you ready to finish up here? It's getting late and I figured you should really eat something.' He gestured towards the exit, an apologetic smile on his lips.
     Zelda shot a look of longing back at the pedestal once, but she knew he had a point. So she nodded and quietly followed him outside.
     The sky had turned dark, the sun had already set behind the mountains. In front of her was a small camp laid out in the middle of the rocky ground.
     Link had made a little fire of the wood he had in his pack and used that to cook a simple meal. There was even a small tent set up, using some cloth and a few poles.
     It was simple and very minimalistic, but it warmed Zelda's heart to see the effort he had put in.
As they sat down to eat, Zelda was lost in thought, looking out over the beautiful and dark landscape.
The evening slowly drew on, neither of them speaking. The silence lasted so long that Zelda had almost forgotten Link was there, until he suddenly spoke. 'So have you found anything in there?'
Zelda looked at him in surprise. He must know that she hadn't, for she would have been unable to contain her excitement.
Still, she thought it was kind of him to ask, to try and start a conversation. He hadn't done that in a long time. So, deciding she would not rebuff him, she slowly shook her head. 'I haven't. Yet. I am certain there must be something in there, I just don't know exactly what to look for, or where to look.'
Link nodded a few times, stroking his chin. 'Maybe I can help. If you tell me more about it, I could tell you if I have seen anything of interest during my time in there.'
Zelda nodded. It was kind of him to offer. She still had trouble believing that he had ventured inside of that thing all alone, not knowing what to expect. He had to figure out that maze of a structure and fight the Waterblight to top it off. How could he be so brave and strong?
As she realized she was getting lost in thought again, she made herself snap out of it, blinking a few times to clear her mind. 'Well, you remember that night at the Tech Lab right? When Purah discovered that crucial piece of information?'
Link nodded.
'She had drawn connections between all Sheikah creations, linking them together. When I looked at it for a while, it started to look like a map.' She looked up at Link to see if he still followed and saw him nodding along.
'Purah's theory is that it's a map of a hidden underground complex, connecting the Shrines and Towers and even the Divine Beasts.' Her enthusiasm rose back to the surface. She waved her hands and smiled widely, barely remembering to feel weird around Link. 'If that is true, it means that there is a whole unexplored world right below us! All we need to do is find an entrance.'
'Do you think there is one here?' His big blue eyes rested on her, fully focused.
She sighed, her spirits dampened a little. 'If only it were that simple. I believe there must be clues in the Divine Beasts, since they are the only creations left. Maybe they each hide a piece of a map or something, something to show the entrance.' Zelda looked at Link desperately. 'I wish I knew what it would look like.'
     Link nodded, apparently lost in thought. He then smiled at her. 'I will help you look tomorrow. I have a few ideas of where we can check.' He raised his hands and quickly added: 'Only if you want me to of course.'
     Zelda nodded, long happy to possibly have a break in her research.
     'Zelda?' Link then asked, nearly inaudible. His voice was completely different from a few moments before, making a shiver run down Zelda's neck.
     She looked at him with her eyebrows raised, waiting for him to continue. It took him a while, as he seemingly struggled to find the right words.
     'There is something I have been meaning to tell you,' was what he finally said.
     At once there were a thousand different thoughts running through her head. Zelda imagined the worst possible scenario's. He sounded so serious and solemn. What could possibly have changed his mood so much?
     He seemed nervous, shuffling and fumbling with his hands, not meeting her eyes.
     Zelda felt her breath hitch and her heartbeat quicken as her nerves took over. It took him so long to get the words out. If only he would just tell her already.
     She looked at him and saw the slight blush on his cheeks and the nervous frown on his face. The way he licked his lips. He looked so vulnerable. It only increased her stress to see him like this. How bad was this going to be?